


Under the Glow of Desperation and in the Light of Hope

by SamJoinedtheReconCorps



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Chroma Conclave Arc, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Mostly just comfort, Post Episode 55, fuuuck man, got me hella fucked up, they just keep getting cuter and cuter huh, umbrasyl, vox machina - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 13:53:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18447917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamJoinedtheReconCorps/pseuds/SamJoinedtheReconCorps
Summary: Vax approaches Keyleth when he feels that maybe they may not make it past another day and then Keyleth approaches Vax when they know they have more time on their hands.





	Under the Glow of Desperation and in the Light of Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck bruh Critical Role is really just making me start writing hella, huh
> 
> Honestly, I fucking love them, like God bless I needed some good inspiration to get me to writing and they did, they brought me back from the dead like damn the Raven Queen had me and they were like nope you gotta keep writing

Night had fallen over Westruun as they feasted, but they weren’t in any sort of feasting mood. Despite how delicious and reinvigorating the meal was, it wasn’t enough to help quell the nerves for their upcoming battle with Umbrasyl. Even the Herd of Storms, for all their want of glory in combat, was somber as they all readied themselves to rest before the coming dawn.

They needed all the strength they could get before they finally faced the black dragon. But even knowing that he needed to sleep to be at his best the next morning, Vax couldn’t fall asleep. As everyone settled down around him in the Margrave’s Keep where Zanror let them spend the night, Vax just lay there, looking at the ceiling.

They would all be fighting a dragon tomorrow. He wasn’t sure if they were all going to spend another night like this once the sun finally set again the following evening.

It didn’t take long for the nerves of the upcoming battle to push Vax to work up the nerve to follow his heart - he was getting better and better at listening every time. Once everyone around him fell still as they succumbed to sleep, Vax quietly got up and stealthily made his way over to the druid laying not too far from him.

As he got close he could see her bright eyes in the dark. “Are you awake?” he asked, before mentally kicking himself because clearly she was. “Yeah, you’re awake.”

“Yeah,” Keyleth looked up with a small shrug of her shoulders. “Yeah, no I’m staring at you,” she whispered back.

Keyleth barely had time to finish her sentence before Vax was already talking again. “I don’t know if it's the food you made or the fact that we’re going to die tomorrow,” he took a small breath, then let out in a rush, “but I want to kiss you.”

And he did. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, expecting this to be another quick peck, a short moment between the two of them, a token he could keep in his heart tomorrow.

He didn’t expect Keyleth to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down closer to her. Vax didn’t hesitate to follow her lead. He lay down beside her, keeping himself propped up on one elbow while his other hand moved to her waist, turning her onto her side slightly. Keyleth kept one arm around his neck and the other moved to the front of his cloak, gripping the fabric there tightly as she pulled him flush against her.

They broke apart for a split second, trying to keep as quiet as possible, their chests heaving, breaths shuddering. Vax was so, so glad that he had darkvision, that he was able to see her beside him, the way Keyleth looked at him breathlessly. They still hadn’t let go of each other.

Vax opened his mouth to say something but was immediately silenced as she closed the space between them and kissed him. It was rough and messy and heated and almost a little desperate. It was an escape from worry into the comfort of each other, but Vax didn’t want it to be reduced to a moment driven by uncertainty in the future.

He slowed down, pulling away for a hairsbreadth and started to gently kiss her skin, kissing her cheek before planting featherlight kisses down her neck. Keyleth held him tightly, baring her neck to him and running her fingers through his hair. He paused for a while, settling in the crook of her neck and just breathing her in, waiting for her breathing to slow, for some of the desperation in their movements to disappear. She smelled like the earth after rain and tasted like warm honey.

Keyleth’s fingers started to scratch tiny patterns into his scalp, the feeling new yet familiar, lulling Vax towards sleep.

Vax moved up to face level, giving her one last kiss on her forehead before bringing her in for a soft, lingering kiss. A comfort, a reassurance - a promise.

He pulled back.

“Goodnight,” he whispered.

Before Keyleth could even get a word in, a voice from a little ways away loudly asked, “Did you use your tongues?” Of course it was Vex that was still awake.

Vax made a sound of mortified annoyance, but didn’t say anything to answer his sister.

“How does she ever - she sees everything,” Keyleth quietly said to Vax as she moved to settle her head on his chest.

“She’s a witch,” Vax sighed, running his fingers through her hair.

Keyleth turned her head to look up at him, a giggle escaping her. “She’s a witch?”

“She’s a witch,” Vax reaffirmed with a smile.

“That’s insane,” Keyleth laughed, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the sound.

Vax leaned down a bit, planting a kiss on the top of her head before asking, “Did you see the broom?”

Keyleth burst out laughing at that, burying her face into his chest. Vax could feel her shaking as she tried her hardest to keep quiet in his arms. He loved to see her like that, loosened up and laughing and enjoying herself.

Even in these dire circumstances, he was so glad she could find it in herself to smile and laugh. It made him grin, her laughter lighting up all of the love he felt for her in that small moment, in the darkness of the Margrave’s keep in Westruun, with the threat of an ancient black dragon over their heads.

As they finally settled for the night, Keyleth still in Vax’s arms, Vax couldn’t help but feel at peace, his nerves pushed aside for the time being, and love and comfort the only thing he was feeling as he fell asleep.

* * *

Once Umbrasyl collapsed after Grog delivered the killing blow, Keyleth dropped elemental form and ran over to Vax, grabbing him by the face.

She opened her mouth, about to say something, when she realized she was leaning over to hold him - the shrinking potion still keeping Vax small. She had the uncontrollable urge to burst out laughing at the absurdity of it but bit her lip to stifle it.

Vax smiled up at her, not missing the way the corners of her lips had twitched. “Maybe - maybe this should wait til later?” Vax asked, his eyes bright and playful and so, so alive.

“So glad you’re not dead,” Keyleth laughed, giving him a soft pat to his cheek. The relief in her voice was clear, but the immediate urgency that had haunted her since they got to Westruun was no longer there. It had died with the black dragon.

They had time now, Keyleth realized. What yesterday had been a moment of passion and love had still been tinged with the ominous glow of desperation, fear, and worry; right now, as she held Vax, Keyleth knew that their love hadn't changed at all - but now it was basking in the light of hope and relief, a calm that was almost intoxicating in it's comfort. They had time now, and they weren't going to waste a second of the beautiful light they found in each other.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Vax and Keyleth are just so cute our emo half-elf rouge and our awkward half-elf druid are just the fucking cutest like they're gonna be the death of me fuck
> 
> Anyway, here are the approximate time stamps for the two scenes that inspired this:  
> In the Belly of the Beast | Critical Role RPG Show Episode 54 - 2:25:22  
> Umbrasyl | Critical Role RPG Show Episode 55 - 4:13:33
> 
> Also, I'm working on a multichapter Grog/Reader fic, since I realized that there are hardly any Reader fics in the tag and I also feel like Grog doesn't get enough love sooooo I guess we'll see when I start putting that up
> 
> I hope you guys like this though! Thank you so much for reading and any comments are greatly greatly appreciated! Thanks!


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